


Camping

by lewie_t



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Camping, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Father figure Levi, Hurt/Comfort, Jealousy, Multi, Mutual Pining, Nonbinary Hange Zoë
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-16 12:56:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29825277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lewie_t/pseuds/lewie_t
Summary: After graduating college, Hange Levi and Erwin, take you and the team camping for a week to celebrate.
Relationships: Armin Arlert/Eren Yeager, Jean Kirstein/Reader, Levi Ackerman/Erwin Smith
Comments: 3
Kudos: 25





	1. Chapter 1

“Can you turn the AC up? It’s fucking hot back here” Mikasa said drowsily from the back of the van as she wiped the beads of sweat that had prickled her skin. The sun was high on that mid-July afternoon. The skies were clear and bright. It was the hottest time of the year, so hopefully they could all submerge their sweaty bodies under the water soon. Swimming would definitely be an option. There were lots of lakes and rivers where you were headed. Hange and Levi were driving you and the others to go camping in the wilderness to celebrate graduating from college.

Their idea of fun wasn’t necessarily the same as yours, but then again, you didn’t know when you would all be together like this again so you agreed to take the week off. The reality of being separated from your childhood friends was all too scary to face so you’d take any chance to spend time together. As the signs of civilization began to fade and the brush grew darker and greener, a new feeling settled into your stomach.

You glanced to your right, and the tall man looked back down at you.  
“what?” he said with a smirk clinging to the corner of his mouth. You looked away quickly and muttered a low “nothing.” This might be one of the last excuses that you’d have to hang out with Jean. You practically grew up together, along with Eren, Armin, Mikasa, Connie and Sasha so obviously you’d see each other again, but not like this. When you were younger, Jean was a menace. You couldn’t be bothered to look his way. He was lanky and awkward and rude and hadn’t the slightest idea how to talk to the girls he liked. He had been head over heels in love with Mikasa since the day he met her. It was hard to picture him with anyone but her. She didn’t seem to feel the same, constantly ignoring him and rejecting his advances towards her. It was honestly kind of sad. He always tried to complement the things he found beautiful about her, but half the time he could barely get the sentence out without stuttering. Mikasa was a bit oblivious of his feelings towards her so she scoffed at him most times or shot him a quiet “thanks.” Her eyes wandered elsewhere. He looked like a defeated, scolded puppy every time.

However, Jean wasn’t really like that anymore. A lot of time had gone by. He’d grown up. His hair was longer now, it reached the back of his neck and he was much taller. He was the tallest in the group, even surpassing Erwin. He might be more muscular too, a lot more muscular than you ever cared to admit. He’d also grown well into his long face. It was quite chiseled now. When he hugged you, you could feel the rough stubble on his chin brushing the top of your head. As much as he annoyed you, you’d grown to love hugging him. You loved how well you fit under his build and could never get enough of his scent. He smelled of a sandalwood musk mixed with sweet tobacco and vanilla. It was intoxicating. 

You shook your head to try to get the thoughts of him to leave your mind. Its not good to think that way. 

He was squished to your right, and Armin and Eren were squished to your left. Mikasa, Connie and Sasha were tightly packed in the backseat. Hange was driving, and Levi was in the passenger seat. Professor Erwin had a few night classes scheduled so he’d come to the trip later, on his own. If Levi wasn’t very happy about having to be without him you wouldn’t know because he didn’t say a word about it. He tended to keep his affection for his husband a private affair. You could learn a thing or two from him. 

The drive consisted of Hange attempting to entertain the crew by singing songs and playing ‘I spy with my little eye.’ It was a bit childish considering their ages ranged from 20-22 but they went along with it. 

“Are we there yet? I really have to pee.” Connie whined, squirming, and to his surprise, the car began to pull into the campsite.

“Well aren’t you lucky” Hange chirped with a big smile on their face. “made it!!” they said as they parked next to the toilets. Connie and Sasha immediately pushed past Armin and Eren and ran to the restroom. It was a pretty simple site, you could see a few places available to set up camp and 3 fireplaces. You unbuckled your seatbelt and stepped out of the vehicle, warm misty summer air filling up your lungs. You watched Jean stretch his limbs with a pained look on his face from the corner of your eye. It must’ve been uncomfortable for him to sit in that cramped space for so long. 

You were snatched out of your thoughts when you heard Armin say from the left of you,  
“What should we do first? should we set up camp?” Levi was about to answer when Hange interrupted him, “There’s a possibility that it could rain tonight, so we might end up sleeping in the car. Let’s set up the food first.” The group groaned at the thought of having to be packed like sardines in that tin can again.  
Levi, looking annoyed as always, scoffed at them and said “Are you sure about that? There isn’t a cloud in the sky, I think it would be wise to set up camp.” Hange insisted that it would be annoying to set it up just to then dismantle it, so they repeated that setting up the food would be the best option. Levi rolled his eyes but didn’t argue. 

Eren, who had already started stripping said, “Can we go swimming first? Please Levi, i’m so sweaty I just need to cool down..” 

“Well if you-“ Levi didn’t even get to finish his sentence before Eren grabbed Armins hand and dragged him down to the lake just below them yelling, “Thanks! Be back soon!” Armin looked surprised and gave the rest an apologetic look before being dragged down the hill and into the lake. 

Everyone looked at them a bit surprised but then decided that they didn’t have to rush anything and they’d been driving for 2 hours. They all deserved a break. With that, Hange halted the food preparations and told the rest that they’d begin prepping in an hour. 

“Go swimming. Relax. Have fun.” They said chuckling and went to grab two beach chairs they had stored in the backseat. One for them and the other for Levi, obviously. It was funny. Hange was never bothered by Levi’s grumpiness. Their love for him was unconditional. There was nothing Levi could do that would ever make Hange angry. It was kind of absurd but, refreshing.

You went over to Mikasa to see if she wanted to swim, but you could tell from her face that she was carsick. Her skin was pale with a greenish tint and the life in her eyes seemed to be sucked out. 

Concerned for her well-being, you asked, “Mikasa, are you alright? Let me get you some water.” Before she could respond you went to the backseat of the van and grabbed two cold water bottles and an apple. You walked back to her and sat her down on a nearby bench.  
“Here, drink this.” You said as you opened one of the bottles and put the rim of it up to her lip, your other hand holding the back of her head.  
“You can throw up if you need to.” You said softly, understanding. Nausea was one of the worst feelings imaginable. Mikasa said nothing and drank the cold water. 

“Is she okay?” 

His voice started you a little bit. It always surprised you how sweet and considerate Jean really was. He, much like you, often put people before himself. It was probably just because it was Mikasa, though. He’d been known to go to the ends of the earth for her. 

“I think she’s just nauseated.” You responded softly, a bit delayed. You took the hand that was behind her head and brushed off the wisps of hair in front of her eyes. 

“You okay Mikasa?” You asked once again. This time before she could answer, she doubled over and puked, thankfully away from your shoes. You rubbed her back soothingly and held back the little hair she had so it wouldn’t get soiled in bile. 

Jean quickly ran back to the car at the sight of Mikasa getting sick and grabbed a rag. She coughed up everything she ate earlier that day and when she looked back up, tears pricked in the corners of her eyes. At first you thought it was just from gagging, but from the look on her face, you quickly realized something else was making her upset. She didn’t seem like Mikasa then, past the very shell of her essence you could almost see her drowning in a pool of sorrow. 

“Mikasa whats-“ 

Before you could finish, Jean was on the other side of the bench with a cold, wet rag in his hand. He folded it up and placed it on Mikasa’s forehead hoping to cool her down. His other hand sneaked up behind her head and slowly played with the hair at the base of her neck. 

A quiet jealousy from deep inside you was awakened in that moment, making you completely forget about the teary eyed girl sitting next to you. All you were focused on were Jeans large, tanned palms petting Mikasa. The nape of your neck suddenly felt cold and bare. A shiver traveled down your spine. 

As soon as you realized how quiet you had become, you forced your attention back to Mikasa. With the tip of your thumb you brushed off a stray tear that had fallen down her cheek. You tried to ask her again what the matter was but she remained quiet. You quickly put two and two together. She wouldn’t say anything in front of Jean. 

Anger and frustration bubbled up inside you. All Jean wanted was to make her feel better and she didn’t even care for it. All he ever wanted to do was make sure she was okay. She obviously didn’t trust him enough to say what was wrong. When you noticed Jean begin to stroke her cheek, you snapped.

“Can you go somewhere else?” You blurted out without a second thought. The sound reverberated through the thick wood surrounding you. You had no time to regret it now. Mikasa was upset so that was your first priority. You didn’t look up to see Jean’s shocked and hurt expression. You simply couldn’t. He muttered a quiet apology, stood up and walked away. You ignored the shards of guilt stabbing at your gut. 

After the shock left Mikasa’s face, she quietly let out a few more tears. You waited for her to say something. You knew what was coming. It was probably about Jean and her new undying love for him. You braced yourself to hear it. Why else would she want him gone? Why else was she be so shy around him? What came out of her mouth was the last thing you ever expected. 

“I think he’s gay.” 

Complete silence. You blinked a few times and started at her confused. What? How could Jean possibly be gay? He’s been in love with her for YEARS! How could she be so blind? 

“What are you talking about?” You replied. “I’m pretty sure Jean isn’t gay. I mean have you SEEN how he looks at-“ You didn’t even get to finish you sentence before she interrupted you with a grimace.

“Not Jean,” she paused and looked down. You almost didn’t hear it but after a few beats, she muttered, “Eren.”

Oh. Oh. She doesn’t like Jean, she likes Eren.  
You didn’t quite know what to say. She didn’t have feelings for the one you thought she did. Of course she would be devastated if the one she was in love with couldn’t feel the same way. You wondered why she brought it up now. Had it been eating at her to the point where she could no longer keep it inside? Maybe the nausea was overwhelming for her and brought forth what was really bothering her.

“I didn’t know you liked him.” You said softly. When she gave no answer, you followed up with, “what makes you think that?” 

She gave you a look that said I don’t think, I know. I’m having trouble coming to terms with it. 

You understood immediately and held her in a tight embrace. 

“I’m so sorry, Mikasa.” was all you could say into her shoulder. You played with the hair at the nape of her neck, mimicking Jean. Maybe this trip wasn’t going to be as fun as you once thought. After about 10 minutes, Mikasa stopped sniffling and gathered herself. The sick she was feeling slowly evaporating. 

“It’s okay.” She said in a mousy voice. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think I could take it for another minute. I had to tell someone.” 

You shook your head as to say you don’t have to apologize. “I just want you to have a good time. I’ll stick by you okay? Make you forget all about him.” She smiled a little and nodded, going to grab the apple you brought her from earlier. 

You quickly realized that the way you snapped at Jean had been mean and irrational. She doesn’t even like him back. You ignored the relief that overcame you at that thought. Why am I relived? It’s not like I like him, you thought to yourself. You’d never thought of him in that way before. It’s Jean for crying out loud. The kid tripped over his own feet and stumbled over his words when he was frustrated. He sucked on his thumb until he was sixteen. He got his ass kicked by Connie and Sasha nearly twice a week in high school. Actually now that you think of it, even you beat him to a pulp once. You remember him saying something about how “all women are the same.” or some shit like that. He deserved that particular beating. 

He was like a baby deer, except, he wasn’t anymore. The ‘horse-face’ nickname never fit him better than now. Except he wasn’t an clumsy little pony anymore, no. He’d grown into a stallion. He started out as such an ugly duckling and somehow suddenly became a swan.

The thought made your ears hot, and you once again shook your head as if to flick the image out of your mind. You couldn’t allow yourself to feel that way about him. 

Your thoughts traveled back to what you’d said just minutes before and you quickly stood up from the bench.

“I need to go apologize for talking to Jean that way. I don’t know what came over me.” You said truthfully, placing a hand on top of Mikasa’s. She nodded you off and continued eating her apple. 

You looked around the site but he was nowhere to be found, you went up to Levi and Hange, asking where Jean had gone. They both pointed towards the lake so you thanked them and made your way down. 

As soon as you saw him your chest began to tighten at the memory of what you had said. How stupid that was. Would you even have the courage to apologize? You also noticed that he was only in his swim trunks and you had a very clear view of his toned upper half. You did not let your thoughts linger on the matter.

You slowly walked up behind him and tugged on his thumb, like a small, shy child wanting attention from their parent. You heard a little hmm? before he turned around and looked down at you. You couldn’t look him in the eye. 

“I- um. I’m sorry about snapping at you” You said while looking down at both your feet. “I don’t know why I did that.” You said, much more quietly than before. Suddenly you felt tears sting at your eyes at the memory. The thought of hurting him was painful. You braced yourself to look up at him and tried to blink the tears away. He had a soft smile on his face. 

“It’s alright. You were just stressed.” 

You look up at him, a bit in disbelief at his compassion. It only made you feel worse. 

“No.” You said strongly. “I shouldn’t have. you were just trying to help. I’m really sorry Jean.” You said with your whole chest. He pulled you into an embrace and your whole body became stiff. Your senses were then overwhelmed by sandalwood and vanilla. Shit. I fit so well beneath him.

He pulled away and asked if you wanted to swim with them a bit before food. You hesitantly nodded. His smell made you a bit dizzy. The instant forgiveness made you feel terrible. He was supposed to be mad. He wasn’t.


	2. chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> BTW- “y/n” is very cringey to me and always pulls me back into reality so i’m going to use it as little as I possibly can!!! Hope u like this <3

The lake was a lot more vast than expected. A tree which stood at the shoreline had a rope with a tire hanging from it which Sasha and Connie were abusing. The water was surprisingly warm and clear. When Mikasa came down and joined everyone, you made sure to stay by her side and make funny commentary which won a few smiles from her. After 30 minutes or so, gradually the group began walking back up the hill to help Hange and Levi with the food. You didn’t bring a towel so when you got out of the water and into the shade, you felt goosebumps up your arms and legs. You walked a bit faster to reach the top of the hill where there was sunlight. When the sun reached your skin, it began to glow. You took a deep breath and allowed the sun to relax you. After a few minutes standing there with your eyes closed, you opened them up again, feeling somewhat self-conscious. You could swear you caught Jean staring. The heat must have made you imagine it. 

Connie and Jean were in the back of the van, bringing out food and supplies, following Hange’s orders. Connie had the biggest grin plastered on his face. As soon as Jean noticed it, he turned and asked what had been so funny. Connie just smirked and looked away, “Oh nothing...” he said in a stupid voice while trying to keep his laugh muffled. Jean’s face suddenly grew red and his expression turned to one of frustration and embarrassment. 

“Tell me? What is it?” he huffed, looking around to see if anyone had noticed.  
“You are so red right now.” Connie snarked before splitting into full blown laughter. This only embarrassed Jean further. He hit connie on the side of the head with a pack of frozen sausages he was holding.  
“Heyyy that hurt,” Connie said, still laughing. “You might want to try using a different sausage on her because the ones you just hit me with are-“ before Connie could even finish his sentence, Jean dropped whatever was in his hands and tackled him to the ground. 

“What the fuck are you on about?” Jean whisper-shouted, to avoid the rest of the group hearing, face still red as a ripe plum. Connie, a bit more hesitant now replied, “It’s really obvious who you were just making oogly eyes at, come on you can’t be serious. You like her don’t you?” 

If Jean’s face could get any redder, it would’ve. He wanted to punch Connie. The nerve he had to so casually make Jean feel this humiliated. He didn’t like anyone. He fell out of love with Mikasa years ago, the rejection too difficult to bare. Of course he would always care about her, but it’s different now. He didn’t want to like anyone. The unrequited love he had faced for so many years subconsciously instilled a belief in him that he wasn’t lovable. Sure, as he got older and more put together, college girls at parties would offer their mouths for fucking once in a while, but, he never quite liked any of them. He never let himself. 

The idea that he liked someone he had been friends with since childhood made him feel very nervous and almost ill. He couldn’t go through it again. He wasn’t going to play dumb, he knew Connie was referring to you. He couldn’t help but stare at your sun-kissed skin for a minute or two. Could you blame him? You were breathtaking. Your body wasn’t an hourglass and it wasn’t tiny either. It was a normal body. It had rolls and bumps and hair and stretch marks. Your love handles poked out of your bikini and the swell of your stomach sat beneath it. The drops of water on your skin made it sparkle. You looked like you could be a painting or a statue in a museum. 

In that moment, you were the most beautiful person he’d ever seen. 

The thought made him swallow hard. Fuck.  
He stood up, letting go of Connie. Knowing he couldn’t deny the truth to him, he very seriously looked him in the eye and said,  
“Please, don’t bring it up again.”  
Noticing how much weight there was in that statement, Connie’s smile faded a bit before he nodded, understandingly. They both grabbed the rest of the food and headed towards the table with the others. This would remain a secret between him and Connie. The information was never to be leaked to you. Jean didn’t think his heart would be capable of being rejected again. 

*

Levi was on the phone with Erwin when Hange finished cooking the food they’d brought. He’d never admit it to anyone, not even himself, but, Erwin was his security blanket. He didn’t like to be away from him for too long. When they were apart for a long time, Levi retained horrible anxiety. He had lost many people at a young age so the fear of losing more people that he loved was always in the back of his mind. Losing Erwin was not an option. He would kill for that man. Once, on a train, a random man looked at him funny, and Levi nearly stole his breath permanently. He survived, but at what cost? Levi was almost certain he’d snapped the man’s tibia in half. 

He and Erwin adopted Eren when he was around thirteen. His dad had been dead since he could remember, and his mother was taken by addiction. Levi happened to be his soccer coach at the time, and in a moment of compassion, he agreed to foster Eren. He was only dating Erwin at the time, they wedded a few years later. Eventually they adopted him. Eren was definitely troubled, to his defense, he wasn’t dealt the best cards. Due to his mother’s disease, he was born addicted to cocaine. He also had severe ADHD and anger issues. He wasn’t an easy kid but, Levi saw too much of himself in Eren to let him continue down the path he was headed. 

“Dinner is ready Leviiiiiii!!!!!” Hange said in their classic ‘time to bother Levi’ voice, snapping him away from his conversation.  
“I gotta go.... ok..... ok......” Levi rolled his eyes. “you too.” He mumbled before ending the conversation. He sat down next to Hange and they all began to eat. Hange and Levi really went all out. There was corn and sausage and they’d even managed to get lobster, one of Sasha’s favorite foods. There was garlic bread and popcorn and ribs and three varieties of fruit salad. 

Halfway through the meal, you noticed a drop of water landed directly on your nose. You paused mid-bite to think. Hm. That’s strange. The sky seemed to clear earlier. You looked up and noticed dark clouds rolling in from the west. Oh. 

“Hey guys..” You slowly begin to say, “Uh, I think Hange was right. I think it’s going to rain.” As if the sky had heard you, in that moment it started to rain. Softly, but the food would definitely be wet in a few minutes. You hadn’t even realized that the sun was almost fully behind the mountains. 

The whole group scrambled, trying to cover all the food and get rid of anything they didn’t want wet. There was a lot more to put away than you realized. As you were folding up all the beach towels, you noticed Armin get into the van swiftly. You almost ignored it and continued cleaning up, but something told you to follow him. 

As soon as you stepped into the car, you knew something was wrong. Armin was trembling. 

“Hey,” you said softly, putting your hand on his shoulder. “are you alright?” 

He quickly nodded and tried to settle his nerves but before he could give an answer, a flash of lightning followed by thunder caused him to lurch into your arms. You were surprised at first, but you held him close. 

“Hey, hey, you’re okay.” you said petting his hair. “are you scared of the lightning?” You asked quietly in an attempt not to make him feel bad. He nodded. A small smile rested on your face because, shit. It was so cute. Armin was scared of lightning. It suddenly crossed your mind how many years you had known him. Probably a decade? More? And you had no idea of this fear. He probably hid it on purpose. 

Trying to be helpful and comforting, you placed your hands over his ears. He was still trembling but you simply held him close. Another bolt of lightning made him stiff in your arms. 

After a few minutes, a very wet crew started piling into the car. When Eren opened the door on the left and hopped in, Armin removed himself from your arms as to tell him something, when another, particularly loud clap of thunder penetrated your ears. He immediately latched onto Eren. As if he already knew about his fear, Eren just rubbed his back soothingly and whispered something inaudible in his ear. You almost formed an opinion on the sight, however, your thoughts were muddled by a very wet Jean next to you. 

“Hey, how come you’re dry?” He said in an annoyed voice. You chuckled and replied semi-jokingly that you were helping your friend Armin and simply couldn’t be bothered to help cleaning up. Jean looked at you and rolled his eyes. The he did something unexpected. 

You looked away to laugh, but before you could, he grabbed your jaw and forced you to look him in the eye. Your face grew warm at this, feeling how large his hands were against your jaw. He was squishing your cheeks a little and you knew it made you look like a squid. In a low voice, he said, “you won’t get away with that next time.” 

Your stomach swirled with heat as it traveled between your thighs. You looked away with wide eyes and didn’t say another word to him. 

Hange turned on the only radio station that was available, luckily it was soft jazz. 

What felt like maybe a few minutes to you, turned into two hours and before you knew it. Everyone around you was fast asleep. You didn’t know how that happened, too hyper fixated on the interaction you’d just had. You saw the goosebumps before you felt them. It was cold in that car. Armin was still being held by Eren and Connie, Sasha and Mikasa were cuddled up in the backseat. 

How had you not noticed a single thing that had happened in the last frame of time? You were so caught up in the touch that you ignored you surroundings for two hours. How does that even happen? Had anyone noticed the state you were in? Perhaps no one had said anything but you wouldn’t know. 

Jean made you feel this way. With one swift movement, you were literally hypnotized, losing all sense of time. The thought that someone could do that to you was scary. You dared to turn your head and look at him, but he was fast asleep. Soft, shallow breaths escaping him. His chest softly rose and fell. Your desire for him overcame you. 

Without thinking, you reached over to Jean’s seatbelt -god knows why he even buckled it- and unbuckled it, stirring him awake. You then kicked off your shoes and slowly shifted in your seat. Holding onto his shoulders, you placed yourself in Jean’s lap. 

“What are y-“ Before he could protest, you put a finger against your lips, signaling him to be quiet. 

“shh. I’m just cold.” You whispered. You positioned yourself so you were sitting on his right thigh and your legs were draped over his left. Immediately, he rested his hand on your leg and lower back to support you. You said nothing else. You don’t know what gave you the courage, but now you were resting your head on his right shoulder, breathing him in. He was stiff and seemed a bit shocked underneath you, but you continued like it was normal. Knowing there must’ve been a demon possessing you, you reached down and wrapped your arms around his torso, lifting up his shirt and pressing your hands clad against his bare back. His breath hitched at that. It was exactly what you needed to do what you were about to do next. 

Slowly, listening to the soft rain, you lifted your head from his shoulder and looked him directly in the eye. His expression was so vulnerable, one you’d never seen before. It said; please. don’t hurt me. 

You leaned down for what felt like years and gently, placed a kiss on the corner of his mouth. He stopped breathing. You, now completely intoxicated by tobacco-vanillé, removed your hand from under his shirt and held his jaw. You placed another soft kiss on him. There wasn’t anything sexual about it. It felt like two rose petals meeting one another for the first time. It was as natural as the shore kissing the beach. 

Without another word, you placed yourself back on his shoulder and allowed the smell of him to make your mind foggy and lead you to a deep slumber. You may have imagined it, but you swore you felt him reach behind you and caress your hair. 

Jean didn’t sleep that night.


End file.
